working to determine whether that's the case or not. >> reporter: the scene, sheridan street in louisdale, it was after midnight. police say reyes and some gang members were outside. that a van pulls up, and then -- then gunfire. floyd bennett lives across the street. he was home when it happened. >> i heard shots. it sounded like a machine gun. then i went to the door, and then i heard the people screaming across the street. a lady said, breathe. she called his name, i didn't get his name. but she said, breathe. and she said, you know -- so i called the police. >> reporter: reyes lives on amhurst street about a half mile from the shooting scene. no one at the house wanted to talk about the incident today. now, police have recovered that drive-by van. they have some strong leads. they're working hard to close this case. live in prince george's county,

pat collins, news4. a bomb scare this morning at a bank in fredericksburg. police say it looks like someone tried to blast open an atm. keith russell has the latest from the news4 live desk. keith? >> wendy, police say their surveillance video shows someone walking up to the atm around 4:00 this morning. he put something down near the machine moments later and explosion. if he was trying to blow open the atm, it did not work. it's still standing. believe it or not, it still works. fredericksburg police, state police and fbi roped off the area this morning. the state police bomb arson unit even suited up to check for more explosives after a bomb sniffing dog picked something up near a dumpster. nothing else was ever found. now, there were no injuries. but that blast was powerful enough to wake up a woman who lived nearby and set off car alarms in the area. keith russell, news4. keith, thanks. two fbi raids in arlington

today, officers searched the seventh floor of an office building in the 1900 block of forth meyer drive. that office houses the university of management and technology. it's a private university that offers associate, bachelor and master's programs. cardboard hasplaced on the university's windows tonight. the fbi confirms it searched two -- served two search warrants but will not say what they're looking for. a search is on for the driver whoa ran over two people who were walking in gaithersburg and killed one of them. montgomery county police say the victims were brothers. they were hit around 1:00 this morning. on west diamond avenue. and a short time later, police did find a car. it was a black honda civic. it had been abandoned outside an auto parts store nearby where the victims were hit. the windshield and hood both caved in. the victim told the police he and his brother did get a ride

in the black honda and they believe it was the same car that then hit them. we have more now on a story first reported here on news4 about cutting tolls for the new intercounty connector in half. they think it would cost less than more people would use it. new reaction to the idea. chris gordon joins us live at the icc, which is marking its first anniversary today. hey, chris. >> reporter: good evening. first of all, imagine in your mind's eye the kind of traffic tie-ups, the beltway backups you have faced over the years during rush hour. then compare it to this, the icc in durwood, maryland, we're at rush hour. traffic is sparse. moving at speed. which is 55 miles an hour. this was built to relief traffic congestion but it's underused and it looks like an empty airport runway according to the

councilman. >> cut in half in hopes of doubling the traffic that produces the same amount of revenue but twice the use and help get cars off of other roads and make the icc an effective road in terms of how many people use it. >> reporter: we drove the entire 18-mile icc midday and found only a few vehicles using the three lanes in each direction between gaithersburg and laurel. >> i use it a couple of times a month. i would use it more frequently, but i think the tolls are a bit ridiculous. >> reporter: if the toll was cut in half, would you use the icc? >> yeah. it would be much more convenient. but every time i think about, oh, do i have to get an ez-pass, do i have to pay, too much hassle. >> reporter: it can cost up to $8 a day round trip at rush hour. >> i use it for work. about $35 to $40 a week. that's two ways every day. >> reporter: are you in favor of cutting the toll? >> oh, absolutely.

100%. >> reporter: the maryland transportation authority says tolls are at the low end of the range that's been authorized. and issued this statement. the icc overall is meeting both traffic and revenue projections. the toll highway was designed for anticipated traffic volumes in the year 2030. now, there are some people who feel there's too much traffic along the icc. those are the residents who live alongside, behind the big concrete walls that are supposed to be noiseproof. they tell me they can hear every car. >> all right. fiscal cliff challenge today. house speaker john boehner said if the president does not like the republican offer, he should present a credible plan of his own that can pass both houses. meanwhile, the white house said tonight president obama has a two-step plan. the first is to extend the middle class tax cuts while allowing cuts for the wealthiest americans to expire.

the second is to call for tax reform by august 1st of next year. in the meantime, the nation's debt ceiling is looming in january. the president's warning republicans not to include any debt limit concessions in their fiscal cliff strategy. we have had a lovely week around here. but it's time to get back to a little december reality. >> would you look at that. veronica has a look at another change coming our way. what about it, veronica? >> do you like that sunset? isn't that gorgeous? >> it's lovely. >> fiery red there on the horizon. and not a bad day. the wind picked up a bit. that northwesterly wind behind the cold front that came through very early this morning. high temps in fact for today, 60 degrees. that was at 5:00 a.m. we now stand in the mid-50s. pretty much falling temps all day. now 55 degrees. trinidad, and good afternoon to you folks in tyson's corner. up north, already in the 40s.

kensington at 48, with temperatures dropping. and these winds have been rocking us today out of the northwest. still at 20-mile-per-hour gusts. those will be settling down. as that happens, it's going to get cold. subfreezing temperatures due by tomorrow morning. we're going to see the numbers really drop during the overnight period. and then they're going to arrive this weekend. but this weekend isn't going to be all grand because we've got something else to deal with. i'll have the details coming up. a heads-up, if you're driving the beltway near green belt, maryland highway workers are going to be closing three lanes of the inner loop, at kennelworth avenue over the next three nights. the lanes will be closed starting at 9:00 each night and won't reopen until 5:00 the next morning. the closure is part of the ongoing bridge project on track to be finished early next year. a warning about a new text message scam that's going around. it's called a shmishing scam.

the text claims you've won a gift card to a major retail store. the text sends you to a website where you enter a provided code and personal information. that personal information can be used to steal your money or your identity. maryland attorney general said a good rule to remember is that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and to never give out your personal information, simply to redeem a prize. >> don't do it. a sign of the times. the last store in reston to buy new books is closing. the barnes & noble will close for good february 28th. this store has been at that location for 17 years. but the landlord is not extending the lease. the spectrum is planning a major renovation which was approved just last month by the fairfax county planners. barnes & noble has been closing bookstores as the popularity of ebooks increases. women with breast cancer are

not taking a popular drug long enough. there is a new study that could change the standard of breast cancer treatment. a local woman blasted a contractor in a review online. why this one was so bad, that it landed her in court. and you must see this. jimmy fallon uses childhood toys, and mariah carey delivered a star-studded holiday performance. there is no mass-produced human.

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to breaking news in maryland. just a short time ago, a judge issued his ruling on the battle over a state delegate seat. prince george's county bureau chief tracee wilkins is in upper marlboro with the decision for us. >> reporter: the judge has just handed down his decision. and it began with this sentence. the circumstances of this case do little for the good name and reputation of our state. and even less, our county. then he went on to rule against austin, and also against hall. now, let me take you back to what happened in court yesterday. former maryland state delegate was ousted for stealing from the

general assembly. greg hall, a community activist, was nominated to fill austin's seat. his nomination was then rescinded at the request of the governor. that's governor martin o'malley, after information about hall's criminal past surfaced. hall, an admitted drug dealer, was convicted of shooting and killing a 13-year-old 20 years ago during a shootout. it was later determined hall's bullet didn't kill the boy and he was cleared of murder charges. yesterday both hall and austin brought their findings to the courthouse with suits, naming the governor and democratic central committee. in court, austin argued her conviction was not final and therefore, she was still a delegate. meanwhile hall argued that rescinding his nomination was a violation of the state constitution. now, in the end, you heard there jik nichols saying that both of these folks are wrong, austin is no longer the delegate and it was okay for the committee to rescind hall's name.

it opens it up for the committee to appoint someone else. but they actually lost their opportunity to choose someone else. reporting live in upper marlboro, tracee wilkins, news4. there are new patrols today in a southeast d.c. neighborhood, but it's not the police. an extra set of eyes are watching over a community still reeling after a teenager was shot and robbed on her way to school yesterday. derrick ward has more on the guardian angel patrols. >> reporter: yesterday this was part of a crime scene. but today it's part of something more. an effort to fight back. this after a teen was shot, just after 8:00 in the morning. she was on her way to school, headed for the bus stop. not her usual stop. there had been a robbery there so she was carrying her books in a computer bag and thought she would go somewhere safer. before she could reach that spot, she was confronted by a masked man. >> it was like he asked for the bag. and i was kind of slow to

register. then he shot me and took the bag and ran. >> reporter: today amid the outrage that followed, members of the d.c. guardian angels stood watch. >> because of this tragedy, a young lady getting shot in the leg on her way to school, you know, this might be just the beginning now that it's the holidays. a lot of people are going to be out here looking for the special coats, jackets, tennis shoes. young people are going to be afraid to go to school. and they should not be afraid to go get an education. >> reporter: for the most part, they were greeted by waves or honk of a horn or just a nod from a passing motorist, indications that their presence was welcomed. those waiting for a bus were somewhat comforted at being watched over. >> it helps. >> reporter: still, they're shocked at the crime that brought the guardian angels here. >> for them to patrol this particular area, for what happened yesterday, it's good. >> reporter: the guardian angels have committed to a presence through the end of the week and

hoping after that, someone in the community will pick up the mantle. in southeast, derrick ward, news4. in "news4 your health," breast cancer patients who take ta mocks i fin for a long period of time may live longer. it's been extremely effective in treating breast cancer, but most women take it for five years. new research shows women who take it for ten years fare much better. this comes from a long-awaited clinical trial at the university of oxford. the death rate was lower among women who took tamoxifen for ten years as well. and the recurrence rate was also lower. now, there are known side effects with this drug, but researchers say the benefits are outweighing the risks. there is a public outcry in maryland where federal officials say superstorm sandy did not do enough damage to merit aid to individuals. the federal government issued a disaster declaration for maryland and is helping to cover costs for repairing public property. but fema has denied a request

for aid to hundreds of eastern shore residents. fema officials say the storm didn't cause enough damage to justify federal assistance for people who lost homes or businesses. state officials plan to appeal that. tourists are getting a close-up look at lava flowing into the ocean from the kilauea volcano on hawaii's big island. lava cascading off 40-foot cliffs into the waters below. it's been erupting since 1983. but there has been an a recent increase in pressure and activity. this is the first time in nearly a year that the volcano has been volatile enough to send lava into the ocean. experts aren't sure how long this phenomenon will last. so a lot of tourists are making the most of it. pretty impressive pictures. >> we'll probably see that in the next episode of national geographic. >> there you go. >> they're always on it. how are you loving jim's voice? >> i kind of like it. >> it sounds like bing crosby.

>> you can sing white christmas after this. >> there you go. >> something new and different. >> he was yelling at the wizards game. >> oh, yeah, right. >> and for good reason. we'll get to that in a bit. >> hope it's not going to be anything that can make anybody sick. >> embrace. >> we'll embrace the weather over the next few days whether we like it or not. at least it's going to be clear. this weekend, however, different story. lovely sunset. as a matter of fact, the sun set at 4:46. we continue to see it go down. 55 degrees your current temperature. with that wind still out there, it's 12 miles per hour. if you have not liked the brisk wind today, it is going to settle on down. with a clear sky. look at this humidity, 35%. and the dew point temperature at 28 degrees. the air right now, very dry. and speaking of dry, too, we didn't get a lot with this weather front when it came through our area this morning. it came through in a hurry at 5:00, 6:00, 7:00 a.m. making its

way to the south and east. you're looking at wind gusts currently across the mid-atlantic area. starting to settle here across virginia, maryland. still rather gusty up north. 31-mile-per-hour wind gusts in hagerstown, maryland. 28 in wilkes-barre. there is the front, a long front from eastern new york this morning right through our area and down into eastern tennessee. bringing some rain. most of which was down to the south. areas of southern maryland, and down through southeastern virginia. off the coast right now of virginia, with very little rain left. as a matter of fact, high pressure's moved in and we've got a clear sky. the numbers tell the story. we're at 46 degrees gaithersburg. warmest part of the day at 5:00 a.m. 59 in raleigh with temperatures dropping. look at the 30s up to the north. western new york and pennsylvania, and around michigan, already in the 30s. that's where the cool and cold air is. it's going to settle in on us

tonight and throughout the day tomorrow. in fact, we're going to be a couple of degrees below average. so for tomorrow morning, coats back on, folks. and button them up, too. we'll start out in the 20s and low to mid-30s across the area. after a chilly, dry evening, feeling like december tomorrow. and then light showers with that next front coming in. and more rain expected saturday. especially early in the day. here's a look at your four-day forecast. the high, 47 degrees for tomorrow. so it is going to be dry. and dry also on friday. but with clouds moving in. and the possibility maybe of some showers late in the day on friday. not posting as of yet, but this weekend for sure looking like rain. saturday the high 65. sunday, 55. and that stalled-out weather front still around at the beginning of the week. the high 62. air, or major storms to deal with. >> all right. >> lovely. skirting through december. >> we can't be dreaming of a

white christmas, can we. >> no, we can't. you don't want to hear it. i'll be watch at 10:00 tomorrow morning. coming up next on news4 at 5:00 tonight, too young to walk but a couple of babies can swim the length of a pool and they're only 9 months old. wow. the fight to prevent drivers in virginia from texting has taken a new turn. but it is just your cell phone that could get you in trouble. coming up in sports tonight, we're going to introduce you to a team trying to win a national championship. they're already winners regardless of the results on the field. at 6:00, tomorrow is one year in office for prince george's county executive sherman baker. he sat down with tracee wilkins to

welcome to chevy's year-end event. so, the 5.3-liter v-8 silverado can tow up to 9,600 pounds? 315 horsepower.

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the redskins aren't the only local success on the football field right now. >> a few pop warner teams that are impressive on the highest level. dan hellie has more on that story. >> playing for championships. or soon will be playing for championships. beacon house advanced to saturday's national championship game. marshall heights game is going on right now. and the watkins hornets, not as fortunate. they are losing in their opening tournament game. they lost that game on sunday. for this team, it goes a lot deeper than just winning a game.

zachary kiesch has their story. >> reporter: long after homework had been assigned and the final bell rings, here at watkins middle school the football field turns to a classroom. part life lessons, part coping mechanisms. the young men training to defeat the cards they've been dealt. >> this organization is not only about football. they teach a lot of core values to these kids. honesty, respect, loyalty. and those are life lessons. we also teach that, you know, with hard work comes reward. >> reporter: for the 17 kids on the team, this has been a storybook season. highlighted by a trip to disney world to play in the national championship. unfortunately registering wins off the field have been tougher to find. >> a lot of these kids that we have come from very -- situations that they can't

control. but us mentoring them, and working hard with them, you know, they've beaten a lot of odds roa odds. >> reporter: coming from neighborhoods that remember america to extremes. power, and poverty. and when charles bell's father was gunned down in the streets, the football team became a source of promise. >> once his dad passed, everyone stepped up to the plate. they knew that he was going to need a male influence. even though, you know, i'm a good mom, i still can't teach him how to be a man. >> their fathers have situations that happened to them. they can't control. but they still need someone to step in and let them know that you still have your mother, still have, you know, opportunities out here. you still have positive male role models that will be in your life until you become a young

man. >> we really focus. and we appreciate each other. >> when the guys dropped their first game in florida, it was certainly short of the team's goal, it represented another life lesson. the young men who have aged before their time. >> we do this because a lot of us didn't have a lot of people in our lives. but we feel like we want to give back to these young men. and so let them know, yeah, we come from the same situations that a lot of y'all come from, but look how successful we have been in life and y'all can do the same thing. >> reporter: zachary kiesch, news4 at 4:00. the hornets shut out the new haven steelers 41-0 to win their consolation bracket this morning. >> wow. >> people say, it's just a game, but four guys on this team have lost their fathers. two of these kids are homeless. this is their family right now.

>> exactly. it's much more than a game. >> that's great. when we come back, a bad review online comes down to a battle of free speech in court. kids are throwing back the popular drink flavorings. hello there. could i please speak to kate, please, my granddaughter? >> a fake phone call to the royal mother in waiting, now a british hospital may take action after getting tricked.

if a police officer sees you texting and driving in maryland, or the district, they can pull you over and write you a ticket. it's a different story in virginia. there, texting behind the wheel is only a secondary offense. >> adam tuss is live in tysons tonight on why there is a push to change the laws in the commonwealth. >> reporter: well, wendy, this is an issue we all can relate to. the urge to send a text or answer a message while driving. here in the commonwealth of virginia, some say it's hit a point that's simply unacceptable. you don't have to be out on the roads long to see it. drivers texting. some even cruising down the interstate at high speeds. we saw this driver rolling along at 60 miles per hour today. he just kept rolling, and rolling, and about 20 seconds later put down the phone. it makes some people downright

angry. >> i understand we're in a world that's kind of an accepted practice. but i think people need to stop and realize how dangerous that is to themselves and other drivers. >> it's a huge hazard. it's very dangerous. and it costs lives. >> reporter: here in virginia, a number of bills are being drawn up that would make the penalties for texting and driving tougher. the problem is that in the commonwealth, texting and driving is a secondary offense, meaning you can't pulled over just for texting alone. kyle was killed about a year and a half ago because of an apparent texting and driving case. kyle's car broke down near his home in herndon. kyle got out to push, he was then hit. records show that the driver who hit him was on his phone. >> he was texting. it's not looking at the roadway while you're driving a car. which turns into a weapon. >> reporter: because of the complicated way virginia law is written, the driver was not charged with texting while driving. drivers do know the dangers, but some still admit to doing it. >> you're admitting you've been an offender? >> yeah, i do.

i try to do it at the stop lights and things like that. not while i'm actually in motion. >> reporter: now, coming up at 6:00, news4 learns shocking statistics from fairfax county police about drivers not paying attention behind the wheel. adam tuss, news4. >> can far fakes legally require its workers to live healthier lives. they're looking for ways to reduce health care costs. they want to know if they can turn down job applicants. >> is there anything that we can do to bring persons who smoke in our work force into a program to help them stop, i think that we should try to do that. having said that, i respect the right of people to do whatever they want to do. >> he said the county would pay the cost of smoking cessation efforts. supervisors expect to get an answer to their questions from the county attorney by next week. the mother of a murdered uva

student has started a new campaign to raise awareness on domestic violence. sharon love spoke at the university of maryland today. her daughter yardley was killed in 2010 after her ex-boyfriend beat her to death in her off-campus apartment. her family has formed what they call the one love foundation, inspiring positive lifestyles and combating domestic violence. >> yeardley saw the good in every person she met and couldn't stand this level of violence. if we teach people how this really can happen to anyone, we hope to prevent it from happening to anyone else. >> love's convicted killer, george hughley of chevy chase, is currently serving a 23-year sentence. a man killed in a row house fire, 42-year-old jeffrey metarossic was found unconscious in his home last night. he worked for the u.s. agency for international development. today we talked to his roommate about what happened.

>> he was just a good man. he tried to do well by others, and himself. quite tragic, you know. just a testament to life and how fragile it is. we should all appreciate it. >> he traveled the globe. his work took him around to 40 countries. police are still trying to determine the cause of the fire. when we come back, a girl disappears from pennsylvania. and then turns up in d.c. a 13-year-old lured to our area by a man she met online. and 'tis the season to deck those halls and fight the flames, too. a reminder on how easy it is for the holidays to go up in smoke. there is no mass-produced human.

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remembering a legend of jazz tonight. dave brubeck has died just one day before his 92nd birthday. the family said he died from heart failure. best known for the classic's take five" which changed the traditional rhythms of jazz. and delivered the commencement address at gw two years ago. he received the kennedy center honor on his 89th birthday. i had the honor to see him and his trio. he was going right up to the end. >> he looked great. the freddie mac foundation held the sixth annual adoption foundation on friday. >> news4's barbara harrison was once again host of the expo. she got a chance to talk about our wednesday's children, who are waiting for permanent families.

>> reporter: the ball room was packed with people. many who said they first got interested because of "wednesday's child." >> you planted the seed for us to think about adoption. so we adopted our first son because of "wednesday's child." >> we wanted to come here and see what's here, so we can adopt. >> reporter: the freddie mac foundation created the expo to help potential adoptive parents learn all of the adoption alternatives. >> our foundation has been working very hard to find adoptive homes for children in foster care. really all over the country, for the past 20 years. and there are plenty more children that need to find homes. we'll keep at this as long as we can. >> reporter: some people came because they thought they would like to adopt some day. >> it's been a life's dream since i was little. >> we've been passionate about adoption. something we're looking at down the road. we saw advertising. we thought let's stop by. >> reporter: this little guy was born to karn and matthew vote, who are thinking of adopting the

next time around. >> we think we have an idea what to do, but we've been suggested by those who do this for a living, that we should come down and learn more about the process. >> his name is dakota matthew. >> how did he become a part of your family? >> through adoption, actually. we had to wait about a year and a half. >> reporter: but robin and eric say dakota was worth the wait. >> do you want to have more? >> that's why we're here. >> reporter: barbara harrison, news4, for "wednesday's child." >> if you have room in your heart and your home for a child waiting, call our special adoption hotline, 1-88-to-adopt-me, or go to nbcwashington.com and search wednesday's child. >> good for them. coming up next, the popular liquid packets do a lot more than flavor your water. jimmy fallon gets creative with mariah carey. veronica, what is up with the weather? >> it's going to be really getting cold tonight. mid-40s north of d.c. right now.

mid-50s south of d.c. remington, virginia, 48 by 7:00. 32 by morning. and the forecast for this upcoming weekend, a little bit of a change that you might want

a judge rules today that a fairfax county woman has to pull part of a negative review she posted online about a man who did repair work at her home. >> the case has caught the attention of a lot of people who use sites like yelp, angie's list, trip adviser. jackie bensen is live at the fairfax county courthouse to tell us what happened in court today. >> reporter: wendy, the judge ruled that jane perez can post about her home repairs all she

wants. but she cannot imply that her contractor stole from her. >> series of them. she had testified about problems. >> reporter: attorney james bacon displayed page after page of what his client claims were botched repairs at her fairfax county townhouse in the summer of 2011. they include this toilet seal, this door hinge, what are said to be numerous bits of hair and dirt in a refinished floor. damaged window sills and trash left behind. jane perez posted negative reviews about contractor christopher deets on yelp and angie's list. she also stated that some of her jewelry went missing, and that deets is the only other person with a key to her house. deets took her to court saying the review damaged his business. >> people have the right to write a review that is honest and truthful. if it's negative but it's true, that's fair. but when it's negative and untrue, that's not fair.

>> reporter: after a three-hour hearing for a temporary injunction at the fairfax county courthouse, the judge said he felt the missing jewelry comments unfairly implied deets was a thief, and ordered them removed from existing web reviews and not mentioned further. perez chose not to talk afterward. >> if we need to, we will appeal to make sure that people are not afraid to speak out and are not afraid to say what happens to them and what their experiences are for fear of being brought in to an expensive lawsuit. >> reporter: perez is not done with court appearances. coming up on news4 at 6:00, we'll hear from the contractor's lawyers about that. reporting live in fairfax county, jackie bensen, news4. >> thanks, jackie. the holidays are a time of lights, christmas trees and lots of tinsel. they can also be a time for serious household hazards. if people don't take the proper precautions.

the u.s. consumer product safety commission teamed up with fire officials to show what can happen. they demonstrated how fast a house can go up in flames if a candle is unattended or if a tree is too dry. officials say trees are becoming a more common problem when they're dry as the holiday season gets longer. officials also warned of the dangers of hanging up lights and decorations. last year alone, more than 14,000 people were injured from falls related to holiday decorating. >> that looks awful. did you see how bundled up jackie bensen was? our temperatures are plummeting. veronica? >> that's right. all it takes is the sun to go down this time of year. and in fact, it is going to be cold for everyone during the overnight period. meanwhile, we're talking about a little bit of a warm-up for the weekend. but we're going to have something else to deal with. we're at 55 degrees currently outside. the wind out of the northwest still at 12 miles per hour. but even that is going to settle

even more as these numbers settle on down into the 30s over our area. that is where they are right now. up to the north, in pennsylvania, and in ohio, 34 degrees right now in cleveland. ohio and pittsburgh, pennsylvania. take a look at the satellite and radar review. the green, the rain, it was a long strip of rain, that cold front extending from the northeast right on down through the carolinas. rain on top of us, that was the front we went from 60 degrees. the temps dropped. then we got a chance to rise a little bit as we got some sunshine. and a clear sky here during the daylight hours. now that it's evening, it's going to be chilly under the clear sky. tomorrow morning, we're cold. sunshine throughout the day. and then as we get into, as we get into friday, we're talking about the next weather front coming in. we've got clouds in on us, as the temperatures do rise a bit and could see a few showers late friday. as well as i think saturday, especially saturday morning. by the afternoon, much of that

rain will be headed to the south and east. your high tomorrow, gaithersburg at only 44 to 47 degrees, right in d.c. mid-40s around stafford, la plata and around waldorf. it will feel like december again tomorrow, folks. at least the winds will be light. high friday, 54. there's your rain for saturday, especially early. we've got a southwest wind. so i think we'll get up to 65. northeast wind for sunday. 55 with a good chance that we could see rain anytime throughout the day. so hanging lights this weekend, my bet is on saturday afternoon. wendy, jim? >> thanks, veronica. it promises to spice up your water. but the drink flavors could be dangerous. they're called water enhancers and add flavor and caffeine to your waters. but experts say some kids are not adding the water. as lisa parker explains, that can be dangerous. >> what have you got there? >> reporter: if you trust the

marketing, the concentrated liquid inside this portable package can change more than just your water. >> really changes your water. >> it changes everything. >> reporter: it is already changing the beverage energy. the first water enhancer to hit store shelves rang up $100 million in its first year of sales. add it to water and you have what is called a customized drink, so popular, so fast, it already gave rise to at least four generic brands. but it has also given rise to this. a scene repeated in dozens of clips on youtube. many with kids so young we can't show their faces. doing the same thing these adults are, throwing back from the bottle, or from shot glasses. swallowing much more than the half teaspoon serving size. >> this has major kid appeal. it's colorful. they're kid-friendly flavors. >> reporter: to take a look at this popular product, we asked a nutritionist --

>> i tell parents to be very careful. >> reporter: a pediatrician. >> we're concerned about repetitive use. >> reporter: and a toxicologist to help us understand what is in here. after we first took 14 samples of five brands here to the lab at stat analysis. specifically looking at caffeine levels in the energy versions, and at the chemical propylene glycol, a major ingredient that has a wide range commonly used in food, as well as antifreeze and deicing solutions. a doctor took a look at our results on propylene glycol. >> has little toxicity in humans. >> reporter: as high as 12% of the product by weight are not a concern. but taken in shot form, not as the makers intend but as kids and adults are doing, our results show one bottle would give a 110-pound teen about five times the recommended daily limit. >> he could well be potentially damaging his self at that kind of a dose. over that period of time.

>> reporter: more troubling here, all our experts said is the caffeine in the energy versions. >> treat this like a medication. and not treat it like a food supplement. >> reporter: at the children's hospital sleep lab, dr. steven sheldon did the math. just one half teaspoon gives the equivalent of a 6-ounce cup of coffee. but taken in shot form, as we saw over and over, a teen would get the equivalent of 18 cups of coffee, one gram of caffeine in one bottle. a risky amount. >> elevated blood pressure, increased heart rate, nervousness. >> it affects our heart rate and our blood pressure. and for children, that's especially concerning. >> reporter: mia maker kraft which launched this new category says no food product should be consumed in excessive amounts and points out its energy version is clearly labeled not for children. and instructs users to always dilute concentrate before

consumption. but back in the world of teens, where fine-print warnings don't get much play, parents may now want to take a closer look at this new product, changing the oldest drink around. a new york photographer tonight is defending himself against the outrage surrounding a controversial picture he snapped a photo of a man pushed to his death on the subway tracks just seconds before he died. we're not showing that picture. but many people saw it on the front page of the "new york post" today. it shows the victim with the train coming toward him. after he was shoved onto the tracks. on the "today" show this morning, the photographer said he couldn't reach the victim in time to save him. >> i saw the lights in the distance of the approaching train. and the only thing i could think of at that time was to alert the driver with my camera flash. >> the photographer also says he was surprised people who were

closer to the victim didn't try to help him. naeem davis is now charged with murder. video showed him walking up to the victim and yelling at him right before the attack. let's check on what tor stories are trending online today. we're not buying it. early this morning, a radio show made a prank call to a british hospital pretending to be the queen and prince charles. >> hello there. could i please speak to kate, please, my granddaughter? >> yes. just hold on a moment. >> thank you. >> i could do better with this voice. >> i know. the hoax was able to get through to a nurse in middleton's ward. she told them the duchess had not experienced sickness recently. the radio station apologized. the hospital said it's reviewing its phone protocol and may take legal action against that radio station. prince william visited his wife again today as did her family. they need to be carried to the pool, but these 9-month-old twins in the uk already swimming

laps on their own. this video from the bbc shows ellie and william, both swimming the entire length of a 25-meter pool without any help. their dad said he could be ready for the 2028 olympic games when they're just 16. teaching babies to swim became popular in the u.s. back in the '70s and '80s, but now pediatricians don't recommend swimming lessons for anyone under 12 months old. >> it puts them to sleep. >> yeah. ♪ >> how fun is this. mariah carey and jimmy fallon teaming up for a holiday classic. they jammed to carey's song all i want for christmas is you. he left all the professional instruments at home, instead using kazoos, tambourine and other toys you find in a preschool classroom. and the entire performance you can see on nbcwashington.com,

including my favorite, the little kid in the red hat that pops up in the front of the screen. love them. >> that's cute. >> the whole thing is very fun, and very seasonal. love it. but coming up -- >> a young girl is lured to d.c. by a fellow she met online. >> we're going to hear what her father said after she just

tonight a virginia man is behind bars and a missing girl

is back in pennsylvania after authorities say he lured her here to our area. >> as rosemary connors reports, this is an example why it's important to monitor what your kids are doing online. >> obviously our top priority is to make sure she's in good mental and physical condition. >> reporter: only 13 years old, police say savannah mcmullet will reunite with her family this evening after a medical evaluation. 20-year-old ash laer heirford is in custody for corruption of a minor. investigators suspected the duo was using public transportation. according to police, an anonymous tipster spotted the two near 30th street station headed to washington on a mega bus. >> we notified the d.c. metro police, the amtrak police, and the u.s. marshall's office in washington, where they helped intercept both individuals. >> anytime you have a 20-year-old pursuing a 13-year-old on the internet, that individual is a predator. >> i had to force myself to eat something. i'm sick to my stomach.

>> reporter: the girl's family has been distraught as she and hareford who are from virginia, allegedly met on the internet. the two took off, an officer spotted hareford in the girl's neighborhood but had no reason to hold him. investigators charged the 20-year-old after they say they discovered an inappropriate picture in his online exchanges with the girl. >> there's an evil dark side to it. that is why parents have to be more adept and circumspect as to what their kids are into. >> they meet people. they're gullible. people tell them what they want to hear. >> reporter: she monitors her granddaughter's computer regularly. it's just like a kid talking to a stranger on the street. >> if you walk into the room and they suddenly change the screen, that is definitely a warning sign you should be aware of. right now, at 6:00, a 14-year-old boy murdered in a drive-by shooting. >>